The issue of the city’s health insurance coverage is again beingdebated as the city prepares to approve an $11 million budget fornext year.

The cost of the benefit to city employees is high at 14 percentof the total budget. While this is a volatile issue for cityfathers, especially with city elections coming up next year, it isone that bears their attention.

As pointed out during a public hearing last week, city employeeshave a better plan than state employees and probably a better planthan most taxpayers receive. The city’s plan is better than LincolnCounty’s insurance plan.

The city plan has two problems – the extremely-low cost ofdependent coverage to employees ($54.94 per month) and the lowdeductible ($250) to use the services. As currently written, theplan has no incentive for employees to reduce health care costs,meaning they have little concern if the rates increase.

In contrast, county employees pay $255.84 per month fordependent coverage and have a deductible of $500. As significantparticipants in the funding of the county plan, county employeeshave an incentive to save costs.

Like the city, the county pays 100 percent of an employee’spremium.

We urge the city to consider a higher deductible as well as anincrease in the dependent cost to city employees.

It may be tough on some of the lower-paid city employees. On theother hand, the higher tax burden being placed on taxpayers couldaffect some taxpayers’ ability to pay for their own healthcare.

No one wants to see someone unable to afford medical insurance,but is it unreasonable to expect those receiving that insurancecoverage to pay their fair share?